Nigerian singer, Divine Ikubor, better known by his stage name Rema, has praised Afrobeats veteran D’banj for his contributions to the genre’s global recognition, particularly in the UK. D’banj’s 2012 hit song “Oliver Twist” was the first Nigerian song to reach the top 10 on the UK official chart, opening the door for other Afrobeats songs to follow.
Rema brought the veteran onstage at his sold-out performance at London’s 02 Arena on Sunday and remarked that he would not have been a successful Afrobeats artist in the UK without D’banj’s crossover success in the UK.
He noted that D’banj opened the doors for Afrobeats artists in the United Kingdom.
In his words, “First of all, I want to appreciate you for opening the doors. We [the new generational artists] do not do it alone.
“You were one of the first ones to bring Afrobeats to the UK. You and Don Jazzy held it down. Y’all open that door.
“I appreciate you for life. I love you from the bottom of my heart. If you never existed, I would have never existed,” he said.